Improvement in low-water indicators



C. E. CHRISTIAN.

Low-Water Indicator.

No. 167,069; a te Aug. 24,1875.

Attorney 6.

PETERSv PNOYO-LITHOGRPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE.

CHARLES E. CHRISTIAN, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

I IMPROVEMENT IN LOW-WATER INDICATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 167,069, dated August24, 1875; application filed May 19, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES E. CHRIS- TIAN,of Erie, in the county of Erie and in the State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Boiler Safety-Alarms;and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of thisspecification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangementof an automatic low-water alarm and steam and water retainer, as will behereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to'enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, whichrepresents a vertical section of the rear end of a return-flue boilerwith my invention applied thereto.

A represents the steam-boiler, with flues I I and back flue-connectionJ, having the crown-sheet B on top thereof. In the top of the boiler Ais screwed a T-connection, C, formed with the nipple a and gland andstuffing-box b, all in one piece. In the T-connection C is screwed anL-shaped pipe, D, leading to the ordinary steam-whistle E. G is thewhistlelever, arranged to open the whistle-valve by downward pressure.The outer end of the lever G is placed over the upper end of a valverod,d, which passes vertically down through the gland and stuffing-box b,T-connection C, and nipple a into the boiler. In the bridge B isfastened a collar, H, the upper end of which forms the valve-seat 6.Around the upper end of the collar H is fastened a stirrup, L, extendingupward, and through which the valve-stem d passes. On this stem issecured a valve, h, which is to be forced downward on its seat 6 by aspring, 73, placed around the stem, between the valve and stirrup, asshown. In the lower end of the collar H is inserted a plug, m, of Bancatin, upon which the valve-stem d rests, to hold the valve h up from itsseat. As the water in the boiler becomes as low as the top of theBanca-tin plug m the heat will cause the plug to drop out, therebycausing the valve to close for the purpose of retaining the remainingsteam and water, and also to blow the whistle for the purpose of givingthe alarm, and thus giving notice that the Banca tin has melted out. Theupper end of the valve-stem passes through the outer end of thewhistle-lever, and has a nut, so, screwed on its upper end, so as topull the lever down.

It will be noticed that the valve closes automatically by the melting ofthe tin plug, aided by the spring. In the pipe D, leading from theT-connection to the whistle, is a stopcock, p, for shutting olf thesteam from the whistle.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the boiler A and crown'sheet B, of the collar H,with valveseat 6 therein, Banca-tin plug m, valve-rod d, with valve h,the spring 41, and whistle-lever G, all substantially as and for thepurposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this14th day of April, 1875.

C. E. CHRISTIAN.

Witnesses:

D. B. MGCREARY, F. OURTYE.

